This invention relates generally to surgical techniques and more particularly to the treatment of skin using a laser.
Each year, a vast number of cosmetic treatments of skin imperfections are preformed. These procedures treat a wide variety of skin imperfections ranging from age lines to birth marks, from tattoos to scar tissue. The mode of treatment of these imperfections falls generally into three different categories: abrasion, chemical peeling, and laser treatment.
Abrasion involves physically abrading of the skin tissue to remove the affected tissue. A variety of mechanisms are applied including grinding wheels and files. While these techniques work in general, they often create their own scars and are further extremely painful or uncomfortable for the patient.
Further, in many applications (i.e. strawberry birthmarks), the amount of abrading which must be performed is so extensive that, to perform the procedure with any success, almost the entire skin layer must be removed.
Chemical treatments are easier to control and are used generally for treating an upper layer of the skin. In general, the chemicals applied kill the upper layer of cells which are then sloughed. The treatment though is applied to a wide area, not just the affected tissue, so recuperation is extended. Further, is not finely controlled, the chemical treatment can "burn"the patient and cause further scarring.
Because of the drawbacks to the above two methods, laser treatment of skin disorders has quickly become the method of choice. In this modality, the laser beam is directed against the disorder itself. Due to the heat generated by the laser beam, the beam kills the cells. These cells are either vaporized immediately by the laser beam or are sloughed later.
While the laser beam has a fine focal point and ancillary damage is minimized, the beam does cause some excessive heating of the site which damages the surrounding "good" or healthy cells. This damage creates a heightened discomfort and extends the time required for recuperation.
Further, during the procedure, an excessive amount of smoke is created which obscures the surgical site.
It is clear that there is a need to decrease the secondary damage caused by laser treatment of the skin.